January 2009 almost history

It has been an exciting first month of year 2009. I only went to work/school one Wednesday this month. The last week has been one of the most emotional ones I have had in a long time. My dad going to the hospital in an ambulance and dear friends facing the most difficult family decisions ever. All I can do is hand it all over to my heavenly Father and say, “Here you go. Only You know how to take care of these things that concern me.”

On January 14th, I went to Winters with Revolution. They did a great job at entertaining preschoolers through 12th graders. There was at least one 80 year old man in the crowd as well. Revolution was there to help him celebrate another year of life. David went up into the balcony during the first concert with the middle school students. He just happened to run into Anthony. Anthony is the grandson of the neighbors that live next door to us now. There have been times in his life when he has lived next door, so he knows our family quite well. He has gone to AWANAs with us in the past. Anthony was thrilled David let him play his bass. Just this week Anthony was at his grandparents and he said all the girls were still talking about the "good looking bass player with Revolution".

Daniel received an Outstanding Student Leadership award from the Breakfast Optimist Club of Abilene this month. In other words he was 8th grade boy of the month at his middle school. We are very proud of him. His basketball team has only lost one game. We are enjoying these games so much with my parents, Grandma Nease, and even Derek shows up sometimes. Next weekend Daniel will play in the All City Honor Band

Derek is now the Frozen Food Manager at the Buffalo Gap United. He told us me he thinks he saw every teacher he had ever had (and some of their spouses) after the roads thawed out Wednesday afternoon.

Nathan and I are very proud of all our boys. I have always prayed with whomever I am blessed enough to get to take to school. This year it is David. One of the verses we recite is: Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” I pray each one of them will have good success in God’s eyes.

My blood work showed that I do not have Gout. There is still a possibility that it could be though. Everything they did for me helped me to get better. I still have the prescription. I only took one pill. If the symptoms come back I can take another pill and see if it helps. If it goes away then it may be Gout. The P.A.'s just don't think that my uric acid level would be as low as it was the next morning if it was gout. My God is able to heal me and I choose to believe that He had a hand in all of this. No matter what it was it does not hurt anymore and I can walk. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

My dad is home

I just got my dad and mom back to their house. All is not well yet, but my dad's nose it not bleeding anymore. Derek knows an EMT that works with the guys that picked up my dad Monday night. They came back with reports of how it was the worst nosebleed they had ever seen. I also had a nurse say the same thing after we finally got in my dad's room Tuesday morning. On top of all this the roads have been covered with ice. AISD was canceled both yesterday and today. Thank God for keeping us safe on the roads. Please pray that my dad's blood pressure would stabilize. He has a history of very low blood pressure, but right now it is too low.

All nighter...

I spent most of the night with my dad at Abilene Regional. My mom called about 10:30 p.m. She had called an ambulance because they could not get my dad's nose to stop bleeding. This has been a recurring issue lately. Nathan went to their house and drove my mom to the hospital. I relieved Nathan at about 1:00 a.m. As soon as I got there they talked about a room. We did not get into a room until 4:00 a.m. One of the nurse's this morning made the comment that it was the worst nose bleed she had ever seen. With my dad's meds bleeding like this is a major issue. Please pray they will know what to do for him. It has stopped bleeding for now. He will get some more blood drawn this afternoon. He may be able to go home in the morning.

What a day...

What a day yesterday was. I stayed home from work on Wednesday because I had some stomach issues the night before. It was nice to have a day off because I did pretty well most of Wednesday. On Thursday, I sat down to lunch feeling fine. I was told just before lunch to go get some cake if I was interested in dessert with my lunch. The Librarian had taught a class at her lunch time for the AHS teachers and had served cake to make it a little more worth their time. As I got up after I ate my cake and soup, I had an incredible pain in my foot. The pain was somewhat better while I sat the rest of the afternoon, but I don't just sit at my job. For the first 45 minutes afterward I do. I go and relieve the circulation desk person so she can go to lunch. Anyway, as I was leaving AHS at 3:40 p.m. I could barely get to my car. I used the stairs which I should have never done. My thinking was if I kept using it I might work the pain out. I did have a gentlemen offer to carry something for me, but I said I was fine. Daniel had a Basketball game that would start at around 5:15 p.m. and we had not decided exactly how Nathan was going to get to the game yet. I called Nathan and told him I needed to come pick him up because I could barely drive. The pain was in my right foot. When Nathan got in the vehicle I told him I thought I needed to go to Minor Emergency. My thought was that if we did it now I would not be in the waiting room with the 5:00 p.m. crowd and hopefully get out of there pretty fast. The wait was not too bad, but we did miss the first half of Daniel's game. (DRATS!)

Anyway the P.A. was pretty sure I was having a side effect of Gout. They took x-rays and there was not a fracture. They gave me a shot, a prescription, lab paperwork, and told me to go and prop my foot up and put ice on it. David brought me his crutches at the clinic and then Nathan and I went to Daniel's game where I propped it up. After his game we came home and I did everything else the P.A. ordered.

I was not sure what Gout was. The P.A. shared information with us. I have had a friend that had it but I wanted to know more so with my foot propped up I went to www.gout.com. If you are interested here is what I found out:

An estimated 5.1 million people in the United States live with gout, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, 1988-1994. Gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in men over 40 and affects approximately 3 times as many men as women. The number of newly diagnosed cases has increased over the past 40 years. (So what am I doing with this? I am definitely female.)

Gout is a kind of arthritis that has been known since ancient times. In reality, there are a number of factors that can lead to gout, and diet is part of this larger picture.

The pain of gout (called attacks or flares) is caused by inflammation when needle-like crystals are deposited in connective tissue and/or in the fluid that cushions a joint (the synovial fluid). These crystals are made up of uric acid, a substance produced when the body breaks down purines found in human tissue and many foods we eat. Most uric acid is carried through the bloodstream to the kidneys, which eliminate it from the body in the urine. However, if the body produces too much uric acid or if the kidneys don't eliminate enough of it, uric acid can build up in the blood. This condition is called hyperuricemia and can lead to gout attacks in some cases. However, in most cases, hyperuricemia does not lead to gout. (The blood work I went to get this morning is checking the uric acid in my body. It will also check my kidneys and blood sugar.)

An attack usually starts with sudden, severe pain, tenderness, redness, warmth, and swelling in the large joint of the big toe. (Mine was just in the top part of my foot, not my toes.) Other joints may include the instep, ankles, heels, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbows. Rarely, the shoulders, hips, or spine may be affected. After about 3-10 days, the attack usually subsides, and the next one may not happen for months or even years. But over time, the gout attacks can become more severe, last longer, affect more than one joint, and occur more often. (Praise God for good P.A.'s, shots, and God's healing touch. I am fine this morning. No need for crutches. Praise God, too much of those and my arm pits would be hurting almost as bad as my foot.)

Gout can progress, eventually causing damage to joints, potentially leading to disability. However, with proper treatment, most people with gout are able to control their symptoms. Treatment may include different kinds of medication to ease the painful attacks, to prevent future attacks, and to help prevent long-term damage to the joints and related disability.

I also read: "In fact, gout is one of the most painful medical conditions. It's been compared with childbirth (Not sure I agree with that. A man must have wrote this article. It was painful, but at least I could move my foot around and give it some relief) and bone fractures. Gout attacks usually last from 3 to 10 days and can cause knife-like pain, tenderness, redness, heat, and swelling in an affected joint. These are all signs of “inflammation,” so gout is sometimes called an inflammatory arthritis.

By the way Daniel's team was undefeated, but they did loose their first game yesterday. He was pretty brokenhearted. They had beat this team before though, so I am pretty sure we are still in first place.

I read this on a friend's blog today. "God used a star to point the Persian astrologers toward Jesus; now he uses you and me as his ‘stars’ to point the way to Him: “You shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life (the message of Christ)…” (Philippians 2:15-16). All of us are on a journey; let’s invite others who are searching to join us in our quest to experience Jesus Christ. He is the greatest fulfillment for our searching hearts."

This invitation is open to anyone. I pray you will RSVP today if you have not already.

2009 yearly letter

Looking back at 2008, Nathan and I celebrated 25 years of marriage this year. Nathan has always wanted to go on a cruise. We did just that the first week of August. We went to Cozumel, Grand Cayman Island, and Jamaica. We won the “Not so, Newlywed game” and the “Amazing Race” on the Carnival Triumph. It was a trip of a lifetime. I say that about every trip I go on though. I love to go anywhere.

We are parents with no one below teenage years now. Derek is taking a break from college. He is seeking God’s direction about what he should do. He wants to be consumed in the satisfaction of the LORD and in that, find wisdom, faith, and direction. God is his fortress. He is praying about going to Southwestern Theological Seminary and participating in an Undergraduate program they have in Music Ministry. He is employed by a local grocer and is also still interning at his Church. He has not lived with us since he went back to college his sophomore year. He presently shares a house with a friend from high school (and several cats).

David is a very talented musician. He bought his third guitar with his Christmas money. He continues to play in Revolution. It is an ensemble of fiddlers from both of our local high schools. He is the electric bass player. Check him out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P77B2yQkH0o He continues to play the stand up string bass and perform in all-region orchestras. We found out he is dyslexic this year. We started the school year out finding out that he needed reading glasses, but his English teacher noticed things no one else has in 10 years of schooling. I knew David could not spell, but other than that he had great ideas and his grades always reflect how smart he is. Not until History classes did he really start having trouble. David is very intelligent and over the years he has just figured out how to compensate in so many ways. We are very proud of him. He will be taking some pretty in-depth and long tests at the end of January to see if he will be granted more time to take the SAT and ACT.

Daniel is still the athlete in our house. He is in the middle of basketball season right now. His team is undefeated. This is his last year in middle school. Next year he and David will have one year together at the school where Nathan has taught for 23 years. He plays the baritone in the band. He will perform in the All-City Band this year. He received a Wii this year for Christmas and we are all enjoying it. We plan on all getting fit this year with Wii Fit.

We have been very blessed by our heavenly Father this year. I took on a new job at Abilene High School. I am now a Library Technology Aide. Our library has seventy computers that I keep up and running. My job is never the same on a daily basis. I miss my friends at my old school especially my roommate last year. It was her first year and we grew very close. She has had a very hard Christmas season. Her daddy passed away just before school was out for Christmas. I know she will never stop dancing, but I pray God puts a beautiful new step into her routines as she worships God this year.

We have a new couples class at our church. It is great to see how they have grown together. They are young married and it is so great to see them form such wonderful relationships that I believe will last for a long time. Especially with www.facebook.com at our fingertips now. If you haven’t tried it you should. It will connect you with friends and family that you might not see very often or even thought you would never see again.

Our year started out a little rough. Derek and his girlfriend for two years broke up. It was hard on all of us. Last night though Derek told us that they were still good friends and talk all the time.

We have had several friends serve overseas in the war we are still in. They have all gone and come home safely. We still have friends that continue to come and go. We pray God’s protection for all of them.

I lost a dear friend on Christmas day. Teri Payne went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She left behind a 6^th grade daughter and her husband. I also have a friend that her son is serving his second time in prison. We are praying for him as he awaits a hearing coming up this next week. His sibling is also going through a very difficult time right now. I pray God will bless this family with peace this year.

Several of my friends that have battled cancer this past year are doing well now. Praise God for His healing touch in Jan, Susan, Linda, and Lesa’s lives. I am not sure where I got this but it is written in my journal this year.

What Cancer cannot Do…

“It cannot invade the soul,

suppress memories,

kill friendship,

destroy peace,

conquer the spirit,

shatter hope,

cripple love,

corrode faith,

steal eternal life,

silence courage.”

I also have friends that are grieving the loss of precious babies. In the past two years I have had three friends go through still births and some others go through miscarriages. I have even had precious families receive an adopted baby and then the mom change her mind. Nathan has had two students pass away just this school year. Life is certainly hard at times, but God is still on the throne.

My dad had an angiogram right before Thanksgiving. He had to have two of his five bypasses opened up. His defibrillator has not gone off on his pacemaker. He is still looking for a job that will meet his and my mom’s needs.

God continues to move in the part of China that I went in 2001. One of the friends I made while I was there serves in Bangalore now. Some friends of ours are asking God for direction for their lives here in the states. We are praying for God to speak words of direction to them this year. They are like our own family. We love them so much. Nathan did their wedding. He did everything but the vows with them. The female accepted the LORD while she was in his physics class years ago. One of her good friends led her into asking Jesus into her heart. She was so excited and told Nathan when she was going to be water baptized. She babysat the boys for us. Her husband helped us with the boys when they got older with rides and such after school. Then the next thing we know we are doing pre-marital counseling with them. They have a beautiful 2 year old now.

Several friends were married this year- Titia, Kim, Christen, Sarah, & Cameron. I pray God will continue to bless their marriages.

We are all still wondering about 2009 as we have a new president take office. God, show us how to pray for Barak Obama and his family. We have several friends that we are praying will accept Christ in 2009.

The Nease Prayer for 2009 is that God will be glorified in Nathan’s and my marriage, our family, our schools, our church, and our daily lives. We pray that the LORD will give peace and comfort to our friends that are hurting and grieving because of loss. We pray that Daniel and I will have a safe trip to Washington D.C. and back again. Thank You for providing the funds for us to do this trip one more time. We pray that our Youth at our church will grow in the LORD as they ski spring break. We thank you Father for the athletic ability you have given Daniel and that he will use it for Your glory. We thank you for our boys’ friends. We pray you will give them courage to share Christ with the people they come in contact with. We pray that You would bless our parents physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. We pray for our neighbors that they would all come to know Jesus as their personal savior. Thank you for our friendships with some special neighbors. We pray you will show us how to reach out to some other neighbors. We pray for an older neighbor that lost his wife. Now his son and his wife live with him. Please blend his household so that they will all get along and live in harmony.

Father, help us in our pursuit of holiness. We desire to honor You above all other values. We want to choose the right over the easy and benchmark our choices against Your righteousness. The Nease family wants be an example “in speech, in conduct, in faith, in purity.” (I Timothy 4:12). We want to be pure and blameless until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:10, NIV)

In Jesus precious name, AMEN.